So friends and anonymous followers, this is the official final post from South America for me. I am counting down the hours now until I arrive to the airport and get taken away by a big plane. No more exciting stories or complaints about South American life, this is the end and it has been an exhaustingly enjoyable journey.
Buenos Aires has been the perfect place to round out the trip. Three weeks of chilling in a really cool city and seeing a lot of great things: Recoleta Cemetary where Eva Peron is buried, a Boca Jr. soccer match, el Caminito tango shows, antique fairs, huge beautiful parks, the pink house, etc. I know this city really well and am looking forward to the day that I return to Argentina to see everything I haven´t on this first time around.
Hopefully this blog has been something that has kept your interest throughout the duration. I know the frequency of posts diminished over time but that is because things stopped surprising us. We got used to the tempo of life, the buses, the hostals, the people and the food. This place started to feel almost normal. And now we are coming home and perhaps some reverse culture shock will set in.
This time, however, we will be able to tell you about it in person.
Thanks for reading and I hope to see each and every one of you very soon.
Katie
Monday, May 18, 2009
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
I needed a break..so I came to Uruguay.
Just for two days. I arrived yesterday by boat from Buenos Aires. It was just a three hour ride and landed in Colonia. Then all that was necessary was a two and a half hour bus ride and I arrived in Montevideo, capitol city of Uruguay. I arrived with the company of a friend, Aaron from NYC (same Aaron from volcano trek and Torres del Paine). For the remainder of last evening, we strolled the streets and took in some dinner. We then settled down for the night and planned out our next day in the city. We would wake up pretty early, rent some bikes and take them to the Rambla where we would ride till we grew tired and then we would throw frisbee and have a great day in the sunny weather. It was a great plan until we awoke in the middle of the night to rain beating down on the rooftop that didn´t stop until around noon. So we devised a plan over breakfast that took us to a couple museums and finally, a good lunch in the open air market down by the waterfront. Although we would have preferred plan number one, number two worked out just fine and we were thankful that it included the amazing traditional Uruguayan lunch of grilled-over-an-open-pit fire veggies (including but not limited to: eggplant, zucchini and sweet potato), chorizo sausage and filet migñon. After lunch, Aaron had to return to Colonia to catch the boat back to BA but I was able to spend more time in town before taking the bus to Colonia. I wanted to go the the Rambla and walk around a bit but the wind was so strong that I could barely step forward and I was already beginning to get soaked so I gave in and went on to the bus station. Now I am in Colonia preparing for an early bed time.
Speaking of early bed times...the reason I am here was partly to explore another country and also, as the title says, to get a break from BA. You see, when you have so many groups of friends in a place that is known for it´s nightlife, sometimes its hard to get a night in that doesn´t include a five a.m. bedtime. Since Hallye has left me for Bolivia, I have kept the friendships with the people we met before and have made new friendships in the city. I have Aaron and Dinesh with their apartment in Palermo, Aussie Chris who moves around the city and always seems to have a new Aussie friend of his own turning up, there are the Dutch girls that I met in Iguazu, the Norwegian girls I met through the dutch girls in the hostal, and some Dutch guys that met the Dutch girls in El Calafate, Argentina. So with friends like these and a new bar or club to go to every night, I began to be so sleep deprived that I felt like a zombie walking around the streets of Buenos Aires and decided that once the Dutch girls went back to Holland that I would take a break and get out of the city and into a bed! So here I am well rested and ready to tackle Colonia tomorrow. Likely I will treat myself to a good pasta lunch (notably good here in Italian-influenced Uruguay) and an afternoon in a cafe. I need to take advantage of my solitude here because I know as soon as I go back to BA, there is going to be more celebrating of something. The other night it was Dutch girls´s last night, the night before it was Dutch guys´s first night and tomorrow night it will probably be my first night back from Uruguay. I just can´t escape the madness! Luckily I have had good luck with the hostals lately. Before I left for Uruguay, I was in a hostal where the lady home made croissants for our breakfast! In the hostal waiting for me tomorrow night, I have my own room for the same price I have been paying for dorm rooms lately! However, it is hard not to think about what I have ahead of me in just six days....my VERY OWN BED in Louisville, Kentucky. That´s right folks, just six more days till my lovely face graces your presence once again. Aren´t you excited? Or have you enjoyed your respite from me?
Hopefully you are still reading, I have noticed that ¨0 comments¨ at the bottom of every blog entry and have wondered if I lost you somewhere along the road. But I keep writing in faith that a few of you are still following. Also, I enjoy writing this. It is different from writing in my journal where I am my only audience.
Well if you were wondering what the differences are that I have found between Uruguay and Argentina, let me begin. I will keep the comparison between Buenos Aires and Montevideo because these are the places that I know the best. It basically comes down to one major thing...while the porteños (people of BA) walk around in their Prada and Polo like they own the world with their surgically adjusted noses stuck so far up that they resemble the obelisk on 13 de Julio, the citizens of Montevideo are much more warm and relaxed...or that could just be the effect of all that dang mate that they are sucking from those gourds all day (inside joke only for people who have been to BA or MVD). That is all the comparison I have for you really. It just stuck out to me so much. In general, MVD is much more chilled out and humble. BA is a bit intimidating and fashionably self-important.
Well, I´m really looking forward to this early bedtime I have been raving about so I must be going. Stay tuned for a few more posts before the end of the trip. I am sure I will have some final words or something like that. Words of travel wisdom, reflection, what I miss about the US and what I can live without for the rest of my life, etc. All for the next installment.
Until then,
Katie
Speaking of early bed times...the reason I am here was partly to explore another country and also, as the title says, to get a break from BA. You see, when you have so many groups of friends in a place that is known for it´s nightlife, sometimes its hard to get a night in that doesn´t include a five a.m. bedtime. Since Hallye has left me for Bolivia, I have kept the friendships with the people we met before and have made new friendships in the city. I have Aaron and Dinesh with their apartment in Palermo, Aussie Chris who moves around the city and always seems to have a new Aussie friend of his own turning up, there are the Dutch girls that I met in Iguazu, the Norwegian girls I met through the dutch girls in the hostal, and some Dutch guys that met the Dutch girls in El Calafate, Argentina. So with friends like these and a new bar or club to go to every night, I began to be so sleep deprived that I felt like a zombie walking around the streets of Buenos Aires and decided that once the Dutch girls went back to Holland that I would take a break and get out of the city and into a bed! So here I am well rested and ready to tackle Colonia tomorrow. Likely I will treat myself to a good pasta lunch (notably good here in Italian-influenced Uruguay) and an afternoon in a cafe. I need to take advantage of my solitude here because I know as soon as I go back to BA, there is going to be more celebrating of something. The other night it was Dutch girls´s last night, the night before it was Dutch guys´s first night and tomorrow night it will probably be my first night back from Uruguay. I just can´t escape the madness! Luckily I have had good luck with the hostals lately. Before I left for Uruguay, I was in a hostal where the lady home made croissants for our breakfast! In the hostal waiting for me tomorrow night, I have my own room for the same price I have been paying for dorm rooms lately! However, it is hard not to think about what I have ahead of me in just six days....my VERY OWN BED in Louisville, Kentucky. That´s right folks, just six more days till my lovely face graces your presence once again. Aren´t you excited? Or have you enjoyed your respite from me?
Hopefully you are still reading, I have noticed that ¨0 comments¨ at the bottom of every blog entry and have wondered if I lost you somewhere along the road. But I keep writing in faith that a few of you are still following. Also, I enjoy writing this. It is different from writing in my journal where I am my only audience.
Well if you were wondering what the differences are that I have found between Uruguay and Argentina, let me begin. I will keep the comparison between Buenos Aires and Montevideo because these are the places that I know the best. It basically comes down to one major thing...while the porteños (people of BA) walk around in their Prada and Polo like they own the world with their surgically adjusted noses stuck so far up that they resemble the obelisk on 13 de Julio, the citizens of Montevideo are much more warm and relaxed...or that could just be the effect of all that dang mate that they are sucking from those gourds all day (inside joke only for people who have been to BA or MVD). That is all the comparison I have for you really. It just stuck out to me so much. In general, MVD is much more chilled out and humble. BA is a bit intimidating and fashionably self-important.
Well, I´m really looking forward to this early bedtime I have been raving about so I must be going. Stay tuned for a few more posts before the end of the trip. I am sure I will have some final words or something like that. Words of travel wisdom, reflection, what I miss about the US and what I can live without for the rest of my life, etc. All for the next installment.
Until then,
Katie
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Bolivia
Hey everyone (if you are still reading)! It is Hallye. I am in La Paz, Bolivia now. I think Katie explained how we split up for the last two weeks of our trip. She wanted to stay in Buenos Aires and I wanted to go to Bolivia. So after our visit to Iguazu falls, I took a bus to Bolivia (it took two days!) and Katie returned to Buenos Aires.
First, I loved Buenos Aires and I am still kind of jealous that Katie is still there. Buenos Aires was both relaxing and fun. I loved sitting in the outdoor cafes drinking coffee or trying another Argentinian wine. I also loved how each neighborhood had its own personality. It was a difficult place to leave however our trip to Iguazu falls was wonderful. The current water levels did not allow us to take the boat out to the island by the falls, but the our view of the falls was still impressive. It is was much warmer in Iguazu than in Buenos Aires so we enjoyed the mist from the waterfalls spraying our faces.
Bolivia is completely different from its neighbor. The buses are old, the roads are either in horrible condition or not paved at all and there is visible poverty everywhere. However, for some reason...I love it. There are several reasons why I love it.
1. The people are incredibly friendly and always want to chat with you.
2. The food is not what I expected. I heard that food here is awful but I have found the opposite. I love salteñas (chicken or beef mixed with onions and peppers and wrapped in a pastry shell...similar to empanadas but a bit spicier).
3. There are so many interesting things to do here!!
My first stop was the Salar de Uyuni. This is where the largest salt flat in the world is located. The white salt stretches for almost 11,000 square kilometers and allows for some great photos where it looks like you are holding others in your hand. I will post some pictures. It worked out where I was able to a one day tour and still be able to see the Isla Incahaus (basically and cactus and rock island that is located in the middle of the salt plains), the hotel made of salt and of course the salt flat itself.
My next stop in Bolivia was Potosì. This city is famous not only for being one of the highest cities in the world but for its mines as well. The main reason I came here was to take a tour of one of the working mines and I am so glad I did it because it was an eye-opening experience. My book and our tour guide both claimed that enough silver was mined out of ¨Cerro Rico¨to build a silver bridge all the way to Spain...and that enough people died in the mines to build a bridge of bones all the way back. On the tour, I was able to walk through the tiny tunnels and learn the history of the mines, talk with miners and give them gifts that we bought them (dynamite, alcohol and coca leaves) and learn about some of the rituals that the miners do for good luck. The miners that we talked to were friendly and seemed happy to chat with us. Their ages ranged from 20 to 50 years old. They work for long periods inside the mine without coming out and will only chew on coca leaves while inside (they give you energy and suppress your appetite). They are also exposed to lots of harmful substances while working and therefore their life expectancies are cut short (some say only 20 years after they start working in the mine).
After Potosí I took a taxi to Sucre, the ´constitutional´capital of Bolivia. I enjoyed my time in Sucre (just over one day). The attractive white buildings, lovely plaza and cobblestone streets make Sucre a beautiful city. I hiked up the steep streets to where el Museo de la Recoleta was located one afternoon. The main reason I wanted to go here was to see an orange tree that is claimed to be over 1000 years old (and it was impressive) but I was pleasantly suprised at how much I enjoyed the rest of the monastary. There were some beautiful courtyards and very old pieces of art. After my visit to the monastary I went to a cafe that I heard had the best view of Sucre. I had two strawberry milkshakes and then trekked back down to my hostal to retrieve my backpack to catch my night bus to La Paz.
So here I am in La Paz now. I arrived about six thirty this morning and am waiting to hear if there is a bed in one of the dormitories at the hostal I am currently at (they are letting me use the free interent and breakfast...even though I am not technically staying here yet!). From La Paz, I plan to visit Lake Titicaca (claimed to be the highest navigable lake in the world) one day, go on a bike ride another day and then head back home.
I hope we still have a few readers and I will plan on doing one more blog entry to give my final thoughts on our trip!
First, I loved Buenos Aires and I am still kind of jealous that Katie is still there. Buenos Aires was both relaxing and fun. I loved sitting in the outdoor cafes drinking coffee or trying another Argentinian wine. I also loved how each neighborhood had its own personality. It was a difficult place to leave however our trip to Iguazu falls was wonderful. The current water levels did not allow us to take the boat out to the island by the falls, but the our view of the falls was still impressive. It is was much warmer in Iguazu than in Buenos Aires so we enjoyed the mist from the waterfalls spraying our faces.
Bolivia is completely different from its neighbor. The buses are old, the roads are either in horrible condition or not paved at all and there is visible poverty everywhere. However, for some reason...I love it. There are several reasons why I love it.
1. The people are incredibly friendly and always want to chat with you.
2. The food is not what I expected. I heard that food here is awful but I have found the opposite. I love salteñas (chicken or beef mixed with onions and peppers and wrapped in a pastry shell...similar to empanadas but a bit spicier).
3. There are so many interesting things to do here!!
My first stop was the Salar de Uyuni. This is where the largest salt flat in the world is located. The white salt stretches for almost 11,000 square kilometers and allows for some great photos where it looks like you are holding others in your hand. I will post some pictures. It worked out where I was able to a one day tour and still be able to see the Isla Incahaus (basically and cactus and rock island that is located in the middle of the salt plains), the hotel made of salt and of course the salt flat itself.
My next stop in Bolivia was Potosì. This city is famous not only for being one of the highest cities in the world but for its mines as well. The main reason I came here was to take a tour of one of the working mines and I am so glad I did it because it was an eye-opening experience. My book and our tour guide both claimed that enough silver was mined out of ¨Cerro Rico¨to build a silver bridge all the way to Spain...and that enough people died in the mines to build a bridge of bones all the way back. On the tour, I was able to walk through the tiny tunnels and learn the history of the mines, talk with miners and give them gifts that we bought them (dynamite, alcohol and coca leaves) and learn about some of the rituals that the miners do for good luck. The miners that we talked to were friendly and seemed happy to chat with us. Their ages ranged from 20 to 50 years old. They work for long periods inside the mine without coming out and will only chew on coca leaves while inside (they give you energy and suppress your appetite). They are also exposed to lots of harmful substances while working and therefore their life expectancies are cut short (some say only 20 years after they start working in the mine).
After Potosí I took a taxi to Sucre, the ´constitutional´capital of Bolivia. I enjoyed my time in Sucre (just over one day). The attractive white buildings, lovely plaza and cobblestone streets make Sucre a beautiful city. I hiked up the steep streets to where el Museo de la Recoleta was located one afternoon. The main reason I wanted to go here was to see an orange tree that is claimed to be over 1000 years old (and it was impressive) but I was pleasantly suprised at how much I enjoyed the rest of the monastary. There were some beautiful courtyards and very old pieces of art. After my visit to the monastary I went to a cafe that I heard had the best view of Sucre. I had two strawberry milkshakes and then trekked back down to my hostal to retrieve my backpack to catch my night bus to La Paz.
So here I am in La Paz now. I arrived about six thirty this morning and am waiting to hear if there is a bed in one of the dormitories at the hostal I am currently at (they are letting me use the free interent and breakfast...even though I am not technically staying here yet!). From La Paz, I plan to visit Lake Titicaca (claimed to be the highest navigable lake in the world) one day, go on a bike ride another day and then head back home.
I hope we still have a few readers and I will plan on doing one more blog entry to give my final thoughts on our trip!
Sunday, May 3, 2009
I Belong in BA
If I never come home, you know where to find me and let me tell you why...Buenos Aires is where I belong. Now of course, I truly belong in Kentucky with my friends and family. But if I could magically transplant you all into Buenos Aires, all would be perfect in the world. Today while Hallye was trying to go to Uruguay (she didn´t make it...I´m sure she will tell you about that later), I was exploring another part of town called San Telmo. I arrived in this barrio (neighborhood) without a map nor any real direction. I just knew that I wanted to spend the day exploring another part of town and I knew how to get there on the metro. After climbing the metro stairs and standing on the side of 9 of Julio (the widest street in the world..like ten lanes or something crazy like that), I undauntedly made my way across the endlessly wide road to the other sidewalk and decided to sit myself down in the first corner cafe and figure out where in the heck I was. After sipping on a cafe cortado and cold water, I asked the waiter where the center of San Telmo was and he pointed down the street and told me four blocks. I paid the man and tipped him (ten percent...first encounter with tips in SA) followed his directions. Before arriving in San Telmo, I was unsure of what I would find. Some had described it as ¨older¨and ¨hippie¨. Great! I thought. I like old and hippie. But some had also described it as worn and uninteresting. What I found when I finished the four blocks was mindboggling and something new and exciting for me. The streets were filled with people mingling among tents and tables. As I got closer, I figured out that Sunday is Antique fair day in San Telmo. Even Better! I thought. I love antiques. So I kept walking and on every block I witnessed artists in the act of making art, musicians playing guitar, dancers dancing the tango, and tons of people selling cool antique EVERYTHING you can think of. San Telmo was 100 percent old and hippie and artsy and awesome and I loved it.
Another motive I had for going to San Telmo that day was to discover whether I liked it well enough to live there for the following week after Hallye and I part ways. I am really fond of the Palermo neighborhood and it was a tough choice. Palermo has heaps of parks and on weekends and weekdays alike people are filling the parks to play soccer and people are continuously running/walking/rollerblading/biking on the streets and sidewalks. Parks alone are enough to keep me in a place given my love for the outdoors but I also wanted to make sure I get to know all parts of BA. What Palermo has in parks and restaurants, it lacks in the streetlife that San Telmo has. It is difficult to avoid a free tango performance in the streets in San Telmo on the weekends and the demographic is much more diverse. So I came to a solution. I went ahead and booked a hostal in San Telmo for after I return from Iguazu Falls until I go to Uruguay for a few days. On the weekends and evenings, I can easily take the metro into Palermo for a jog and to rent a bike, and return to home in San Telmo when I need some culture. The beauty of public transportation!
After Uruguay, I also have a few days before my flight back home and I might move into the centro for a couple days. But who knows! Opportunities abound! But right now, Hallye and I are in Iguazù preparing to visit the falls tomorrow. It was a short flight up north to here where the borders of Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay join forces. On Wednesday I will fly back to BA and Hallye will continue on to Bolivia. Next Monday, I am off to Uruguay to visit Colonia and the capital city Montevideo and will return the following Wednesday. There is still plenty left for me to see in Buenos Aires. One day I will go to the gigantic Recoleta cemetery where Eva Peron is buried. This is supposedly the most beautiful cemetary in the world and one of the most sprawling as well. Also, I have some shopping to do (I am going to try and fit in with these chic porteñas at least once before I leave) and maybe will treat myself to a real tango dinner show. I have to tell you though. The hostel and 20 hour bus ride life is wearing on me and I am looking forward to coming home. Magically, I have budgeted superbly and am now able to spend some money on good steak dinners and wine.
So good wine, steak, tango, parks, discotecas, attractive spanish accent (and people), style, art, culture, is making me wish I was born porteña...
...do I really wish I was born Argentinian? If I didn´t mind corrupt politicians, smoking a pack a day, and being valued second always to men, then maybe. But I do mind.
So I´m happy being a Kentucky girl.
Katie
Another motive I had for going to San Telmo that day was to discover whether I liked it well enough to live there for the following week after Hallye and I part ways. I am really fond of the Palermo neighborhood and it was a tough choice. Palermo has heaps of parks and on weekends and weekdays alike people are filling the parks to play soccer and people are continuously running/walking/rollerblading/biking on the streets and sidewalks. Parks alone are enough to keep me in a place given my love for the outdoors but I also wanted to make sure I get to know all parts of BA. What Palermo has in parks and restaurants, it lacks in the streetlife that San Telmo has. It is difficult to avoid a free tango performance in the streets in San Telmo on the weekends and the demographic is much more diverse. So I came to a solution. I went ahead and booked a hostal in San Telmo for after I return from Iguazu Falls until I go to Uruguay for a few days. On the weekends and evenings, I can easily take the metro into Palermo for a jog and to rent a bike, and return to home in San Telmo when I need some culture. The beauty of public transportation!
After Uruguay, I also have a few days before my flight back home and I might move into the centro for a couple days. But who knows! Opportunities abound! But right now, Hallye and I are in Iguazù preparing to visit the falls tomorrow. It was a short flight up north to here where the borders of Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay join forces. On Wednesday I will fly back to BA and Hallye will continue on to Bolivia. Next Monday, I am off to Uruguay to visit Colonia and the capital city Montevideo and will return the following Wednesday. There is still plenty left for me to see in Buenos Aires. One day I will go to the gigantic Recoleta cemetery where Eva Peron is buried. This is supposedly the most beautiful cemetary in the world and one of the most sprawling as well. Also, I have some shopping to do (I am going to try and fit in with these chic porteñas at least once before I leave) and maybe will treat myself to a real tango dinner show. I have to tell you though. The hostel and 20 hour bus ride life is wearing on me and I am looking forward to coming home. Magically, I have budgeted superbly and am now able to spend some money on good steak dinners and wine.
So good wine, steak, tango, parks, discotecas, attractive spanish accent (and people), style, art, culture, is making me wish I was born porteña...
...do I really wish I was born Argentinian? If I didn´t mind corrupt politicians, smoking a pack a day, and being valued second always to men, then maybe. But I do mind.
So I´m happy being a Kentucky girl.
Katie
Saturday, May 2, 2009
We decided to go to Europe.
Yep, we did. We had a little extra money so we bought a flight to Europe. Actually, this is a joke. We are in Argentina at the moment but you wouldn´t know it based on the outdoor cafes we choose to dine at and the lack of dark-skinned latinos to remind us that we are still in South America. Buenos Aires really lives up to it´s reputation as being the most European city in South America. There are big open parks, functioning metro services, trendy shops, and a LOT of style. I will delve more into Buenos Aires in a moment, but allow me first to get you up to date.
After hiking the W trail in Torres del Paine, Hallye and I and our Aussie friend Chris took off for Argentina. We took the bus across the border into Bariloche, Argentina. This was a lovely mountain resort town with some of the best winter sports attractions in South America. Unfortunately we arrived a little too early to enjoy the winter activites as it is still late fall around here but we enjoyed what the city had to offer nonetheless. Bariloche was filled with chocolate shops and winter gear shopping. Because of the high volume of german/austrian/swiss immigrants years back, we really felt like we were in a little village in the alps. The city is situated on a lake and the snowy mountains stood on the other side. All of the architecture had this European influence and the gastronomy was also tell-tale of swiss and german settlers. We took the opportunity in Bariloche to relax and take it easy after our hiking adventure. Our hostel was very comfortable and we were able to watch movies and take short day hikes around town up to great look-outs of the mountains. In Bariloche we took advantage also of the delicious chocolate shops on every corner and great argentinian wines that are sold for about 2 dollars a bottle (and here cheap does NOT mean bad).
After we felt that we had had our fill of Bariloche, we took the 20 hour bus to Buenos Aires. Here, dinner starts at 9, bars start at 12 and discoteca starts at 2. For this, I have just recently woken up (1:00) and am getting my day started. I do not feel like I have wasted half a day as I would at home because I know that the day will end at midnight. The first hostal we stayed in here was in the centro (downtown). We didn´t last very long there because it was filled with a bunch of British soccer hooligans who just sat in front of the big screen all day smoking cigs and drinking and watching football. We found few people that wanted to be social there so we decided to move to a different part of town. Now we are staying in a hotel in Palermo, the trendy upscale part of town. This is also where our friend Aaron is renting an apartment so we are not far from him and his friend and have visited their place numerous times to pass the hours after dinner before going out.
We have already had the pleasure of seeing a soccer match here in BA and let me tell you, it was the experience of a lifetime. Our group of six headed out the day of the match to buy our tickets to the Boca Juniors game and by the time we arrived at the ticket office, the general admission tickets were all sold out and we were forced to by platform tickets for about 20 dollars a piece (which is considered big spending here on a ticket). We were a little bummed about the fact that we were going to be sitting in a nice comfortable seated section..we were wanting the loud raucous experience! Well, we concluded there was nothing to do about it so we left the ticket office and went to have a few pregame beers in a bar nearby. Our pregame celebration was cut short by the fact that bars are prohibited from selling alcohol two hours before game time (to avoid already rabid fans from getting drunk and killing eachother). We left and went down the street and found out that this guy was selling beer to people by pouring it into empty three liter coke bottles. So we got a few and continued enjoying the pregame atmosphere.
All of us were decked out in Boca gear that we had bought earlier in the day so we fit right in with all the fellow Boca fans. Boca (the team loved by BA) was playing a team from Venezuela so it wasn´t hard to decide who we should be rooting for. The only problem was that as we were walking to the stadium that was several blocks from the metro stop where we got off, we apparently were still treading through rival territory. Fans for the other BA team which was not playing that day, would yell at us as they drove or walked by. It dawned on us why we had been seeing other Boca fans with jacket zipped up over their jerseys in 75 degree weather. NOT a good idea to sport your jersey before you get to the stadium. You are bound to get your butt kicked by SOMEONE. There was even a truck that drove by filled with half toothless men yelling at us and banging sticks on the side of the truck. We were a little scared by them and picked up our pace as we walked to the stadium.
So as we were waiting for kickoff, we were hanging out on a side street sidewalk drinking beer and hanging out with other Argentinian Boca fans. We ended up making friends with a few of them and they suggested that we enter with them and perhaps we could make it into the ¨popular¨section where all the crazy fun happens. This ended up working for Hallye and I because we entered with the Argentinian girl we made friends with. Side note: Hallye and I were basically celebrities that night. Not only were we two of just probably about 20 girls in the entire stadium, but apparently everyone thought it was cool that 1) We were female 2) We were American and 3) we were soccer fans wearing the BOCA jersey. IN LIKE FLYNN!
So we got in with the girl (basically ushered past everyone in line because of our female-ness) and made our way to the popular section. Ok picture this...you know on tv (if you have ever seen a pro soccer match on tv) that certain section in the stands where people are jumping up and down for 90 plus minutes chanting and throwing stuff and playing drums and being crazy??? That is where we were! We were in the middle of crazy fan fun chanting the Boca chant and getting our eardrums blown out by the big drums right next to our heads that didn´t stop playing for the duration of the match. We were fist pumping the entire night and acting like we knew the words to all the songs. Luckily Boca scored two goals in the second half and kept the Venezuelans at zero so we didn´t have to worry about trying to exit this madness among pissed off men. It was a championship game, too, so a loss really would have been detrimental to Hallye and my safety.
So basically we are enjoying BA´s vibe and atmoshpere and are taking full advantage of the nightlife. There are gorgeous parks just near our hotel and we love to spend time in cafes and parks. I have picked up jogging again since BA is a great place for running (nice wide and flat surfaces). Monday we set out to Iguazu Falls (google image this!). I will return to Buenos Aires and stay here for the next few weeks before flying home on the 19th. So our trip is coming to a close! You can expect some more postings though as we still have a lot to see and do and tell you about. For now, I have to go though and probably take a nap....Saturday night is quickly approaching. Hope everyone is still reading and enjoying. Be in contact soon.
Katie
After hiking the W trail in Torres del Paine, Hallye and I and our Aussie friend Chris took off for Argentina. We took the bus across the border into Bariloche, Argentina. This was a lovely mountain resort town with some of the best winter sports attractions in South America. Unfortunately we arrived a little too early to enjoy the winter activites as it is still late fall around here but we enjoyed what the city had to offer nonetheless. Bariloche was filled with chocolate shops and winter gear shopping. Because of the high volume of german/austrian/swiss immigrants years back, we really felt like we were in a little village in the alps. The city is situated on a lake and the snowy mountains stood on the other side. All of the architecture had this European influence and the gastronomy was also tell-tale of swiss and german settlers. We took the opportunity in Bariloche to relax and take it easy after our hiking adventure. Our hostel was very comfortable and we were able to watch movies and take short day hikes around town up to great look-outs of the mountains. In Bariloche we took advantage also of the delicious chocolate shops on every corner and great argentinian wines that are sold for about 2 dollars a bottle (and here cheap does NOT mean bad).
After we felt that we had had our fill of Bariloche, we took the 20 hour bus to Buenos Aires. Here, dinner starts at 9, bars start at 12 and discoteca starts at 2. For this, I have just recently woken up (1:00) and am getting my day started. I do not feel like I have wasted half a day as I would at home because I know that the day will end at midnight. The first hostal we stayed in here was in the centro (downtown). We didn´t last very long there because it was filled with a bunch of British soccer hooligans who just sat in front of the big screen all day smoking cigs and drinking and watching football. We found few people that wanted to be social there so we decided to move to a different part of town. Now we are staying in a hotel in Palermo, the trendy upscale part of town. This is also where our friend Aaron is renting an apartment so we are not far from him and his friend and have visited their place numerous times to pass the hours after dinner before going out.
We have already had the pleasure of seeing a soccer match here in BA and let me tell you, it was the experience of a lifetime. Our group of six headed out the day of the match to buy our tickets to the Boca Juniors game and by the time we arrived at the ticket office, the general admission tickets were all sold out and we were forced to by platform tickets for about 20 dollars a piece (which is considered big spending here on a ticket). We were a little bummed about the fact that we were going to be sitting in a nice comfortable seated section..we were wanting the loud raucous experience! Well, we concluded there was nothing to do about it so we left the ticket office and went to have a few pregame beers in a bar nearby. Our pregame celebration was cut short by the fact that bars are prohibited from selling alcohol two hours before game time (to avoid already rabid fans from getting drunk and killing eachother). We left and went down the street and found out that this guy was selling beer to people by pouring it into empty three liter coke bottles. So we got a few and continued enjoying the pregame atmosphere.
All of us were decked out in Boca gear that we had bought earlier in the day so we fit right in with all the fellow Boca fans. Boca (the team loved by BA) was playing a team from Venezuela so it wasn´t hard to decide who we should be rooting for. The only problem was that as we were walking to the stadium that was several blocks from the metro stop where we got off, we apparently were still treading through rival territory. Fans for the other BA team which was not playing that day, would yell at us as they drove or walked by. It dawned on us why we had been seeing other Boca fans with jacket zipped up over their jerseys in 75 degree weather. NOT a good idea to sport your jersey before you get to the stadium. You are bound to get your butt kicked by SOMEONE. There was even a truck that drove by filled with half toothless men yelling at us and banging sticks on the side of the truck. We were a little scared by them and picked up our pace as we walked to the stadium.
So as we were waiting for kickoff, we were hanging out on a side street sidewalk drinking beer and hanging out with other Argentinian Boca fans. We ended up making friends with a few of them and they suggested that we enter with them and perhaps we could make it into the ¨popular¨section where all the crazy fun happens. This ended up working for Hallye and I because we entered with the Argentinian girl we made friends with. Side note: Hallye and I were basically celebrities that night. Not only were we two of just probably about 20 girls in the entire stadium, but apparently everyone thought it was cool that 1) We were female 2) We were American and 3) we were soccer fans wearing the BOCA jersey. IN LIKE FLYNN!
So we got in with the girl (basically ushered past everyone in line because of our female-ness) and made our way to the popular section. Ok picture this...you know on tv (if you have ever seen a pro soccer match on tv) that certain section in the stands where people are jumping up and down for 90 plus minutes chanting and throwing stuff and playing drums and being crazy??? That is where we were! We were in the middle of crazy fan fun chanting the Boca chant and getting our eardrums blown out by the big drums right next to our heads that didn´t stop playing for the duration of the match. We were fist pumping the entire night and acting like we knew the words to all the songs. Luckily Boca scored two goals in the second half and kept the Venezuelans at zero so we didn´t have to worry about trying to exit this madness among pissed off men. It was a championship game, too, so a loss really would have been detrimental to Hallye and my safety.
So basically we are enjoying BA´s vibe and atmoshpere and are taking full advantage of the nightlife. There are gorgeous parks just near our hotel and we love to spend time in cafes and parks. I have picked up jogging again since BA is a great place for running (nice wide and flat surfaces). Monday we set out to Iguazu Falls (google image this!). I will return to Buenos Aires and stay here for the next few weeks before flying home on the 19th. So our trip is coming to a close! You can expect some more postings though as we still have a lot to see and do and tell you about. For now, I have to go though and probably take a nap....Saturday night is quickly approaching. Hope everyone is still reading and enjoying. Be in contact soon.
Katie
Friday, May 1, 2009
up D8!
Heather says....HOLA! It´s been a while! I´m staying in Cusco for a while, perhaps a month, perhaps three, as I´ve found an English teaching gig and a phat-pad. I share a kitchen and a bathroom with 2 Peruvian guys and a Swedish chiquita. My room has lots of natural light and is quite spacious....heather is a happy camper! I start teaching on May 6th, and so I´m currently in Quillabamba, a pueblo about 7 hours by bus from Cusco (yesterday was a long, beautiful, treacherous ride). There are very few tourists here which means lots of staring. Having been in Cusco, aka Gringo-landia, for so many weeks now has made me forget that I stand out in the majority of Peru. It´s hot and humid and I love it. I only wish there was a large body of water close by for me to jump into. Unfortunately, the closest beach worth going to is north of Lima...very far away. No vale la pena! (It´s not worth it!) My spanish is coming along, and I have a book of grammar I´ve been studying, not diligently, but a little :) With the start of English classes I will have a regular daily schedule, which I , surprisingly, very much look forward to. Rise early for class at 8am until 9:30, then I have all day off. I will start again at 4pm and teach until 9pm. Leave home early and get home late! I look forward to being busy! This is why I decided to take my last few days of vacation-life-style in the jungle, with feet up, sipping juice and soaking up the sun.
Breakfast was awwwwesome this morning, two glasses of banana juice! About four bananas blended with a can of condensed milk and algorobina. The latter is a very popular ingredient, used in all freshly prepared juices and lots of other goods too. It is the concentrate of a fruit we are all unfamiliar with in the US but I´m thinking of carrying back, as it´s super good for your health. Every bottle I´ve seen for sale has pictures of muscle men on it. Freshly squeezed orange juice is still my favorite, of course, and so I had that with dinner last night. Que rrrrrrrico! The oranges in Quito are too sour and adding sugar doesn´t help much as it doesn´t dissolve and therefore adds a crunch to your juice, but the fruit here is perfect!
I have lots more photos and will post some soon. Hope all is well up there in the first world. I miss it terribly! Sending love and hugs and un beso de muchos colores! Chau chau
Breakfast was awwwwesome this morning, two glasses of banana juice! About four bananas blended with a can of condensed milk and algorobina. The latter is a very popular ingredient, used in all freshly prepared juices and lots of other goods too. It is the concentrate of a fruit we are all unfamiliar with in the US but I´m thinking of carrying back, as it´s super good for your health. Every bottle I´ve seen for sale has pictures of muscle men on it. Freshly squeezed orange juice is still my favorite, of course, and so I had that with dinner last night. Que rrrrrrrico! The oranges in Quito are too sour and adding sugar doesn´t help much as it doesn´t dissolve and therefore adds a crunch to your juice, but the fruit here is perfect!
I have lots more photos and will post some soon. Hope all is well up there in the first world. I miss it terribly! Sending love and hugs and un beso de muchos colores! Chau chau
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Wild Patagonia
Hello everyone!! It is Hallye and once again I apologize for not posting for so long. I think that last time I posted I wrote about our first impressions of Chile. I LOVE CHILE. It has just gotten better the further we travel down south. Santiago was very cool for a big city...our week in Angostura (wine country) was wonderful and relaxing...Pucon was great because we climbed an active volcano....and now we have just returned from the very southern tip of Chile (Patagonia). It was incredible how close we were to Antartica. We visited the Torres del Paine National Park where we completed a four day, three night trek. Luckily, we met some other travellers who wanted to test their fitness on the 85 kilometer hike with us. We started the ¨W¨ (the name of the trek) on what seemed to be the opposite side of most people. We setup camp around lunchtime and set off on the first leg of the journey- Glacier Grey. The hike itself was not too difficult (until it got dark on the way back!) and each viewpoint that we came to was more beautiful than the one before. We reached the best mirador to see the glacier glistening as the sun started to set. You could not have asked for a prettier scene.
The second day we started off about an hour later than we planned however we still made it to the next part of the ¨W¨ - Valle de Frances. On this part of the trek we watched avalanches come rumbling down the snowy mountains. It was a strange noise - a crack and then a thundering boom. However, the craziest thing about these avalanches is that they were so loud and we were still pretty far away from them. The Valle de Frances was a difficult hike (the muscles around my hips felt like they were ripping apart the entire time), but the view at the end of hike made it worthwhile...I will try to post some pictures later! Camping that night was interesting. I kept waking up trying to decide if the noises that I was hearing was wind, the nearby river or avalanches.
Our third day was the longest hike. We started off at eight that morning and reached our stopping point at about four that afternoon. However, we made great time because we originally thought this part would take at least nine hours and we had to carry our backpacks the entire time. It was a pretty hike. We went on gorgeous beaches of the lakes and through patagonian farmland filled with cows. The last part of this hike was fairly difficult. Actually that is an understatement. I was really not sure if I would make it up the steep, rocky hills. It helped being with three other people because we silently pressured and pushed eachother to keep trekking up the vertical and never-ending hills.
We camped that night at a campsite about forty five minutes from the infamous Torres del Paine. We set our alarms for a little before six in the morning (so we could see the Torres with the sunrise) and then made some hot drinks to attempt to keep ourselves warm. The next morning we woke up and started hiking up to the mirador in the dark...and rain. Luckily our trekking buddies (Chris and Aaron) wore their headlamp lights to light up the trail (but my book light worked pretty well too...thanks Allison!). Looking back at this part of the hike, I am glad that it was pitch dark out because it was so incredibly steep - I do not know if I would have made it up the hill if I had seen how long and steep it looked. Once we reached the top we had to wait for at least thirty minutes for the sun to show itself through the rain clouds. It was cold, windy and rainy. We ate chocolate and trailmix to keep ourselves warm. The sun began to peak from behind the mountains and shine a bit on the base of the Torres and at one point there were signs of a rainbow. The clouds never fully lifted but the views were still amazing! We will post some pictures soon...but for now here is a link to a google image- http://guia.ojodigital.com/albums/userpics/Torres-del-Paine.jpg
We quickly made the descent back to the campsite, drank some hot tea, packed up and started the last leg of our trek. This last part was not too difficult even though by this point Katie and I were both hurting a bit from our rented hiking boots. And truly, the worst part was the last 7 kilometers to the bus that we chose to walk instead of catching the shuttle bus.
Overall- I think that past week has been the best part of our trip thus far. I catch myself saying this every week or so about something that we do...but deciding to spend the little extra money and time to travel to the end of the world was a great decision.
We have a bus to Bariloche, Argentina in a few hours so I am sure we will have some posts about Argentina soon! All my love, Hallye
The second day we started off about an hour later than we planned however we still made it to the next part of the ¨W¨ - Valle de Frances. On this part of the trek we watched avalanches come rumbling down the snowy mountains. It was a strange noise - a crack and then a thundering boom. However, the craziest thing about these avalanches is that they were so loud and we were still pretty far away from them. The Valle de Frances was a difficult hike (the muscles around my hips felt like they were ripping apart the entire time), but the view at the end of hike made it worthwhile...I will try to post some pictures later! Camping that night was interesting. I kept waking up trying to decide if the noises that I was hearing was wind, the nearby river or avalanches.
Our third day was the longest hike. We started off at eight that morning and reached our stopping point at about four that afternoon. However, we made great time because we originally thought this part would take at least nine hours and we had to carry our backpacks the entire time. It was a pretty hike. We went on gorgeous beaches of the lakes and through patagonian farmland filled with cows. The last part of this hike was fairly difficult. Actually that is an understatement. I was really not sure if I would make it up the steep, rocky hills. It helped being with three other people because we silently pressured and pushed eachother to keep trekking up the vertical and never-ending hills.
We camped that night at a campsite about forty five minutes from the infamous Torres del Paine. We set our alarms for a little before six in the morning (so we could see the Torres with the sunrise) and then made some hot drinks to attempt to keep ourselves warm. The next morning we woke up and started hiking up to the mirador in the dark...and rain. Luckily our trekking buddies (Chris and Aaron) wore their headlamp lights to light up the trail (but my book light worked pretty well too...thanks Allison!). Looking back at this part of the hike, I am glad that it was pitch dark out because it was so incredibly steep - I do not know if I would have made it up the hill if I had seen how long and steep it looked. Once we reached the top we had to wait for at least thirty minutes for the sun to show itself through the rain clouds. It was cold, windy and rainy. We ate chocolate and trailmix to keep ourselves warm. The sun began to peak from behind the mountains and shine a bit on the base of the Torres and at one point there were signs of a rainbow. The clouds never fully lifted but the views were still amazing! We will post some pictures soon...but for now here is a link to a google image- http://guia.ojodigital.com/albums/userpics/Torres-del-Paine.jpg
We quickly made the descent back to the campsite, drank some hot tea, packed up and started the last leg of our trek. This last part was not too difficult even though by this point Katie and I were both hurting a bit from our rented hiking boots. And truly, the worst part was the last 7 kilometers to the bus that we chose to walk instead of catching the shuttle bus.
Overall- I think that past week has been the best part of our trip thus far. I catch myself saying this every week or so about something that we do...but deciding to spend the little extra money and time to travel to the end of the world was a great decision.
We have a bus to Bariloche, Argentina in a few hours so I am sure we will have some posts about Argentina soon! All my love, Hallye
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